


The Wise Old Man

by QueenofBaws (Sisterwives)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Tags will be updated with the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-16
Updated: 2013-08-16
Packaged: 2017-12-23 17:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/928940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sisterwives/pseuds/QueenofBaws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their story is one without a clear beginning or end or middle or anything in between. They fell to the darkness, one by one, until nothing was left.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Foreword

There is a story that the parents of Hollow Bastion tell their children before tucking them in at night. A story of when times were different, before their land was wrought with ruin and decimation, before smog and soot blacked out the sun. A time of sunshine and flowers, and the scent of autumn approaching, carried by the mists from the fountains in the court.   
  
Simpler times.   
  
 _Safer_  times.   
  
It is a story about greed and insolence, betrayal and impetuousness. In the little town, it has been told countless times. So perhaps it is no longer the whole truth, perhaps there are passages where exaggerations are made for the sake of storytelling, some details have been embroidered, faces changed, scars added or taken away. Every story is subject to time, and every myth begins with a grain of truth. But while there may be spots where the words have faded on the page, or different interpretations have changed names, the fate of each player--and the message--remains the same. And if time has eroded those players to be something inhuman, something unfeeling and heartless, let it be said it was for the simple good of the message. After all, it is much easier to hate what is not human.    
  
For the children of Hollow Bastion, its moral is a staple--as familiar and widely accepted as the boogeyman coming for the wicked in the night, or the rewards of kindness, come Christmas morning.   
  
Many have forgotten where they first heard it, but none forget its warning:  
  
 _Stay far away from the darkness. Because while you may find you don't like the things that creep in the shadows, rest assured, they will like_ you _just fine._


	2. Prologue: The Wise Man and His Pupils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a story that the parents of Hollow Bastion tell their children before tucking them in at night...

Once upon a time, there was a wise old man.

The wise old man ruled over a beautiful world full of colorful gardens and sparkling water.  
It was a place where no one ever went wanting, and opportunities were as plentiful as smiles. 

The people of the beautiful world were so happy, because their wise old man was so kind and giving.  
He was so incredibly generous that he had even taken people in when they needed help or a home.

The first person he took in was The Scientist, who was unspeakably intelligent.  
But while he was clever, his heart was icy and cold.

Next came The Gunman, whose zest for life and excitement was unmatched.  
But his free spirit had a downside...he was a loose cannon who couldn't be trusted.

Then there was The Guardsman, who was the bravest of them all.  
But his bravery came at a cost, and he was too trusting and loyal for his own good.

With The Guardsman came The Soldier, who was as strong as his friend was brave.  
But his skills were tempered by his rage, and he was frightfully unforgiving.

The next was The Prodigy, a young orphan of unmatched intellect and ability.  
But he was far too prideful of his knowledge, and viewed others with nothing but contempt.

Lastly, the wise old man took in The Neophyte, who wanted nothing more than to learn.  
But his ambitions were too great, and he possessed little restraint.

The wise old man treated them as equals, as though they were his family.  
Together, they learned and taught, bettering the beautiful world for everyone who lived there.

They decided to study the beauty of the heart: how it allowed people to feel and love.  
But there was another side of the heart that the wise old man had no interest in...the darkness that dwelled within it.

The Neophyte became obsessed with the darkness of the heart, and this worried the wise old man.  
He forbade them all from continuing their studies of darkness.

This angered The Neophyte and The Scientist, who wanted nothing more than to uncover the innermost secrets of the heart.  
They enlisted the help of The Prodigy, taking advantage of his sharp mind and soft eyes.

The wise old man saw the boy as his son, and was too easily swayed.  
At The Prodigy's urging, he built a new laboratory, far under the ground.

Unbeknownst to the wise old man, the others carried out countless experiments and studies into the darkness within the heart.  
But each of their experiments was a failure, resulting in naught but destruction and death.

Strange creatures began appearing from out of the darkness, hungry for hearts.  
Before long, they escaped out into the beautiful world, running amok.

The wise old man was outraged by the betrayal of his students!  
He ordered them to stop at once, to burn their research, to undo the madness they had created.

But they would not.  
And the darkness began to take them over, one by one.

The Neophyte grew angry and bitter, plunging ever deeper into his work.  
The Scientist refused to destroy what he had created, and began to fall into madness.

The Gunman laughed at the fate of the beautiful world, and sat back to watch it burn.  
And while The Guardsman and The Soldier had been closer than brothers, they fell apart, brought to despise one another.

The Guardsman fell prey to The Prodigy's guile, and took to defending him from those who might exact their vengeance.  
The Soldier shunned the company of them all, and retreated into solitude.

Again, the wise old man begged them to stop—he pleaded and wept to save their lives and their home.  
But it was too late.

The darkness devoured them whole, stealing their hearts and leaving empty husks.  
The beautiful world grew grey and cold without the wise old man.

Everyone watched as the colorful gardens died and the sparkling water dried up.  
Their beautiful world had been destroyed beyond repair, and their generous and kind wise old man was gone.

But his apprentices remained, with their pointed teeth and bloodstained hands.  
They ravaged and feasted until there was nothing left.

The darkness had won.


End file.
